Velocipede.



No. 786,718. PATENTED APR. 4, 1905. (I. F. BBNNINGTON. VELOGIPEDE.

APPLIQATION FILED JUNE 2?, 1904.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

Suvewfoz PATENT'ED APR, 4; 1905.

v J. P. BENNINGTON.

VELGGIPEDB. APPLIOATION mum sum: 27, 1904.

Patented April d, 1905.

PATENT OFFIGE.

JOHN F. BENNINGTON, or LAHARPE, ILLINoIs.

VELOCIPEDE.

SPEOIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 786,718, dated April 4;, 1905. I

- Application filed J'une 27,190. Serial No. 214,400. i

To (tZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, J oIIN F. BENNINGTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at La.- harpe,-in the county of Hancock and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Velocipedes and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the'art to'which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in velocipedes.

The object of the invention is to provide a velocipede which may be propelled by hand and which will be simple in construction, strong, durable, and easily operated, means being provided whereby the same may be steered by the feet of the rider.

With this and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel'features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claim. I

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side eleva-.

tion of a velocipede constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view. Fig. 3 is a top plan View. Fig. 4 is a frontelevation, and Fig. 5 is a vertical crosssectional view taken in front of the operating-lever.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes the front supporting and steering wheels.

2 denotes the rear supporting and drive wheels, said rear wheels being fixed on a rear axle or shaft 3, which is rotatably mounted in antifrictional bearings 4:, secured to the under side of horizontally-disposed forwardly converging hounds 5.- Said hounds are provided at their forward ends with upwardly-projecting posts or standards '6, to

which are secured the downwardly curved ends of forwardly and downwardly pro ecting spring-fork bars 7, the forward ends of which are pivotally connected to a steering-head 8,

secured to the front axle9 of the machine. The head 8 consists of a pin or bolt 10, projecting upwardly from the center of the axle 9 and through the sides of'a vertically-disposed ring 12, the lower. side of the ring being secured to the axle by means of a clip 13,

as shown. To the upper side of the ring 12 is fixed a laterally-projecting cross-bar 14, and to the outer ends of the crossbar 14 is connected the outer ends of link-rods 15, the inner ends of which are connected to the opposite ends of a horizontally-disposed steering-lever 16, which is pivotally connected to a curved brace-bar 17, the ends of which are secured to the under side of the forward ends of the hounds 5,'thereby bracing said ends. On the ends of the lever 16 are secured footrests 18, which are adapted to support the feet of the rider and by which the lever may steer the machine, as will beunderstood. A yoke or curved brace-bar 19 is connected at one end to the upper portion of the pin or bolt 8 and at its opposite end to thelower end of the bolt below the axle 9, thereby bracing said steering-head.

Between the I upper ends of the posts or standards 6 is pivotally mounted an operating-lever 20, on the upper end of which is fixed a handle-bar 21, by which the same may be actuated. To the lower end of the lever 20 is connected the forward end of a pitman-rod 22, the rear end of which is pivotally connected to a crank-shaft 23, the ends of which are journaled in bearings on the under side of the hounds 5 in front of the rear axle 3. On the shaft 23 is fixed a sprocket-wheel 24, which is connected by a chain 25 to a pinion 26, fixed on the rear axle 3, so that when said crank-shaft is operated by the lever 20 the rear axle 3 will be driven, thereby turning the rear driving and supporting wheels and propelling the machine.

On the hounds 5 over the axle 3 is secured the lower ends of upwardly and forwardly curved sp rings'27, on the upper ends of which is secured. a seat 28, which may be of any suitable construction.

be pushed in one direction or the other to The posts or standards 6 may be braced to the hounds 5 by means'of inclined brace-bars 29, whereby said posts are firmly braced to said hounds.

In operating the machine the 'rider sits on the seat 28 and grasps the handle-bar of the operating-lever, alternately pushing and pulling' said lever, thereby causing said pitinanrod to operate said crank-shaft and through the gears 24: and. 26 and chain 25 impart motion to the rear shaft and driving-wheels. The riders feet engage the foot-rests on the ends of the steeringdever, so that by pressing said ends in one direction or the other the machine may be steered, as hereinbetore described.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention Will be readily understood Without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

in a velocipede, the combination with a rear l l l l l l l 1 l axle, having supportingy-wheels lixed thereon, Q 5

and a front axle having sup 'iortin -wheels journalod thereon, horizontally -disposed hounds having hearings in which said rear axle is journaled, a steering-head lixed on said frontaxle,aspring-iorkhavingadownwardlybent end and connecting the front end ol said hounds with said steering-head, a combined foot-rest and steering-lever pivotally mounted on said hounds, links connecting said lever with said steering-head, a cranlq-shai't journaled on said hounds, .iprochet-avariin1 connecting said crank-shalt with said rear axle, a hand opcrating-lever connected to said crank-shaft to drive the same, and a spring seat mounted upon said hounds, substantially Bnnnin o'roii, BJJNTHH. 

